


Keeping his distance

by PoemAboutCitylights



Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: First moves, Insecure!Max, M/M, Singapore Grand Prix, Whirl Pool, oblivious boys in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-27
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-07-18 09:52:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16115972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PoemAboutCitylights/pseuds/PoemAboutCitylights
Summary: Max has always pushed back Dan, it is just what he does.Or maybe he's simply an idiot.





	Keeping his distance

Pushing Daniel back has always been so easy.  
Brushing him off and ducking away from him, turning his back on the Aussie.  
Shutting him out and hushing away.  
For longer than Max can remember, that's what he's done.  
Keeping his distance, thinking of the right things to say, staying away from his older teammate as if his life depended on it.  
It is easy because it is what Max is used to, not letting anyone get too close to him, especially not someone he's driving against. It is what his dad has taught him from an early age and Max has taken his advice to heart.  
It's easy when he's in a competitive mode anyway, when Daniel makes some wins look so easy while the Dutchman himself is struggling with the RB.  
It is easy when it's Dan standing on a podium when he has to digest another DNF. It's easy when Max scores a podium, too.

It's not easy when Dan is laughing at him, when he flashes him a smile, when he hugs the Dutch casually for the media or catches his gaze from the other end of the garage.  
It's not easy when they're filming Red Bull promo videos.

It isn't that they don't get along off camera.  
Max knows that they could get along well, if only he'd let them. He knows that they could be friends, _mates_ , as Dan would say.  
But there has always, _always_ been that small voice in the back of his head, holding him back, telling him to push Dan back, again and again, until the Australian would learn his lesson and stay away from him.  
But the thing is, Daniel isn't one to pick up hints quickly and if he does, he doesn't seem to care much about them.  
Because he keeps on nudging Max's sides and flashes him his mega-watt smile in driver meetings, asks the Dutch about his day offs and starts singing along to the music playing in their garages, as if it doesn't kill Max on the inside, as if it doesn't make him ache for an embrace.

Sometimes he's scared of how beautiful he thinks Dan is.  
Because from time to time, it shakes him to the core, the Aussie's grins and the sound of his laugh.  
It drives him to a point where he catches himself thinking _smile one more time for me, Dan, just one more flash of teeth._  
And it sends his heart flying and his breath racing, makes him feel hot and cold at the very same time, for that's not how he is supposed to feel about another man.  
It's not how he should feel about a teammate, either.

Sometimes he wonders what would make his dad more angry.  
That he's falling in love with a man or that he's head over heels for a rival?  
Because that's what it is, isn't it?

In the end, it doesn't really matter.  
Because regardless of how beautiful he thinks Dan is, it doesn't make a difference.  
They're rivals and Dan isn't gay and if he was, Max would probably be the last person he'd find interest in.  
Max might be many things, but delusional has never been amongst them.  
He is aware that Dan doesn't see much more in him than his young and reckless teammate, someone he sometimes has empathy with when the media would go on bashing him, someone he'd maybe want to call a friend.  
Nothing more and nothing less.  
Well, maybe less, all things considered.

Which is why Max goes out of his way to stay away from the Australian.  
It's easy. It's what he knows.

  
What he doesn't know is who had the idea to not get two but _one_ whirlpool filled with ice water for the Singapore GP.  
If he knew, he'd get them fired immediately, for sure. Or maybe a stern glance would do. Whatever.

At first, he thinks that it might be going okay, though, as he can't think properly about anything anyway, feeling like the Singapore heat will just make him melt.  
The icy water is therefore very welcome and he feels his body cool down immediately, trying his best to ignore Dan who is already sitting next to him.  
They've filmed a video for the Red Bull social media account yesterday, with Christian and other team members around, which had made it both less and more awkward at the same time.

But right now, they are alone, the whirlpool built up somewhere behind their motorhomes in between a truck and the facades.   
He tries his best to not touch Daniel's bare skin in any way.   
And as they're both only wearing underwear, there is _a lot_ of skin.  
Smooth and tanned skin, toned chests and tattooed legs, gentle hands and pink nipples and _fucking hell_ , Max thinks, he's close to hyperventilating.  
Apparently, he must have made a weird sound because Daniel suddenly turns to face him, an amused smirk playing on his lips.  
It's post Qualifying and the sun has long set, the reflection of distant city lights sparkling in the older one's dark eyes.

"Not much space to run away from me here, huh?" Dan says and Max nearly jumps, the Aussie's voice pulling him back into reality.  
"It's a, uhm, it's a small pool," he chokes out and just wants to slap himself for sounding so hoarse.  
"It is," Dan nods in agreement and keeps fixating Max, who feels blood rushing to his face, his cheeks probably flushing in a deep red colour by now.  
"And it's a small world," Dan eventually adds, cocking his head to one side, "you can't back away from me forever, mate."  
"I don't," Max shoots back quickly, too quickly, probably.  
It makes Daniel raise a dark brow.  
"Alrighty..." he drawls the y and Max sees something flashing over his face.  
"Yup," Max says, without having any reason to do so apart from the fact that he's an _idiot._  
"Just..." Dan then starts and he knits his brows together, all usual easiness suddenly gone from his face, "do you have a problem with me, Max? Because honestly, you're always running away from me, don't think I haven't noticed. I get that we're driving against each other and all, but come on, mate. Don't you think it would be better for all of us if we were just... more relaxed around each other?"  
 _Oh God,_ Max thinks and groans internally.  
Or maybe he has groaned audibly because Daniel's face grows even a little sadder than before.  
So Dan thinks Max doesn't like him.  
 _Has a problem with him_.  
Great.  
Well done, Max.  
"I'm getting cold," the Dutch stutters and almost jumps up, water splashing in all directions.  
"Max..." his name coming from Dan's mouth sounds almost like a sigh and when he feels the older one's bare hand on his naked thigh, he stumbles back and his feet lose grip.  
He can already picture himself falling back, rotating his arms in a desperate attempt to regain balance and for a short moment, he thinks _that's it, that's how I'll die. Falling out of a several feet high whirlpool and hitting the asphalt with the back of my head_.

But he _doesn't_  fall because then Daniel's arms are around his waist, holding him close and holding him tight, Dan's icy limbs pressing against his.  
"Whoa," the Aussie makes while he stables Max, their chests lined up against each other.  
"Whoa," Max repeats but for a totally different reason altogether.  
His heart is beating so fast, he can hear it in his ears.  
"Whoa," Dan echoes and Max likes how he repeats what Max has already repeated.  
Saying that he feels frozen in his place has probably never fitted a situation better, because goose bumps are arising on Daniel's skin and he can feel a shiver running through the older one's body.  
Or maybe it's his own, he really can't tell at this point, their chests still touching.  
And then Daniel takes a step back and Max's mind goes _nonononono_ but he can't say anything, wouldn't know what to say, anyway.  
Dan still looks at him, his brown eyes somewhat guarded and the Dutch doesn't know what to make out of it.   
"It's really hard, Max," Dan starts and it takes the younger one a few seconds until he understands that the Aussie is talking about him backing away all the time.  
"I wish things were different between us," Dan continues, shrugging his shoulders sadly, "what else am I supposed to do? I try to talk to you and ask you about your stuff and help you with things and take some of your media attendances and fill you in on my set ups."  
Dan is starting to talk really fast now and Max has a hard time following his words.  
"And it's stupid, really, because who shares his set up information with his teammate, except maybe Kimi with Seb, and I have your back when you crash and defend you in front of Christian and ask you out on biking tours and keep my singing to a minimum and it's all so bloody stupid because you clearly don't like me back and I'm really falling in love with you and-..."   
Dan stops in the middle of his sentence, his eyes going wide, while Max feels like someone has set his insides on fire or cut right throw his guts with a glowing knife.  
"What?!"  
Dan has gone very pale, if that's even possible, his dark eyes still opened wide, hands falling down on each side of his body.  
"Fuck," he whispers, almost breathlessly.  
"What did you just say?" Max asks, his stomach doing funny things, heat running through his body.  
Dan closes his eyes for a few seconds.  
"Max... Look... I..."  
"Say it again."  
"What?"  
"Say it again?" Max asks, tentatively, and maybe it's something about the tone of his voice that makes Daniel's eyes flutter open.  
He sees the Australian swallow.  
"I think I'm falling in love with you."  
"Again?"  
"Max..."  
"Say it one more time?"  
Dan cocks his head again, "You're not making fun of me, are you?"  
It kind of makes Max's heart clench, which is why he reaches out and takes Daniel's hand in his.  
Dan's beautiful _beautiful_ hands.  
The Aussie looks down on their hands, united in the shadows, and Max sees a smile playing on his lips.  
"I think I love you, Max Emilian Verstappen."  
"Once more?"  
"Damn, you're a spoiled prat, Max," Dan whispers and then he _giggles_ and Max leans in, resting his chin on Daniel's shoulder, his lips brushing against the older one's ear.  
He feels his heart racing in his chest.  
"Good thing I'm a spoiled prat that really, really likes you, too."  
"You're an idiot, Max."  
Max laughs and then jumps when he feels Dan's lips against his neck.

He really was.

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> God, I haven't written in AGES, despite having visited my very first formula 1 race in Spa and I just hope you enjoyed reading this!!


End file.
